This is my personal blog. I was Branch Secretary of Lambeth UNISON from 1992 to 2017 and a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of UNISON, the public service union (www.unison.org.uk) from 2003 to 2017.
I am Chair of Brighton Pavilion Constituency Labour Party and of the Sussex Labour Representation Committee (LRC).
Neither the Labour Party nor UNISON is responsible for the contents of this personal blog. (Nor is my employer!)

I’ll write more soon
about my experiences on the NEC and the reasons why, after fourteen years, I
have chosen not to seek re-election, my purpose in writing now is to draw to
your attention that the great bulk of the candidates contesting seats on the NEC
are one of two slates.

I shall cast my votes,
wherever I can, for candidates supported by the UNISON Action Broad Left - these are the candidates who recognise the
need for change in our trade union, which is currently neither
growing, nor defending the jobs and living
standards of our members. The new Broad Left, founded at the largest
meeting at last year’s National Delegate Conference, is a truly broad church of
activists with a range of views, although the largest number are left-wing
Labour Party supporters like myself.

The alternative view is
represented by those who support the current leadership of the Union, and who
have gathered under the banner of the “Stronger UNISON” statement
(about which I have passed
comment before). These candidates will no doubt sound every bit as
left-wing and radical to anyone reading election statements, but their
programme amounts to more of the same. They can expect enthusiastic support
from all those with a vested interest in the status quo.

There are a tiny number
of candidates standing who may make a virtue of not being part of either
organised slate, but the idea that a trade union should be led by those who
make a virtue out of not organising is, to put it gently, a bit odd. An
individual, no matter how experienced, intelligent or principled, can make no
impact on the NEC of UNISON without taking sides. This may be unfortunate but
it is how things are.

In the aftermath of the
shocking conduct which has been exposed in the last General Secretary election
(and – let me stress – I make no allegations against the successful candidate)
it is clear that UNISON needs to change. It is by supporting the candidates of
the UNISON Action Broad Left in the NEC elections that any UNISON member can
contribute to that necessary change.